Double Date with Bachelor Nation's Joey and Kelsey!

It's a double date on He Said, G Said as Blake and G sit down with one of Bachelor Nation's favorite couples, Joey Graziadei and Kelsey Anderson!

With Joey and Kelsey's wedding just about a year away and Blake and G's right around the corner, the couples share where things stand with planning, who's handling what, and why the guest list has become one of the most stressful parts of the process. They also reveal what they're most excited about as they prepare to say "I do."

Joey and Kelsey open up about how Dancing with the Stars challenged their relationship, why Kelsey was more nervous than Joey during the finale, and how winning the Mirrorball Trophy became one of their proudest moments together. They also reflect on their experience finding love on The Bachelor, discuss how reality TV has changed them both, and share the ways they've helped each other grow as a couple.

Plus, the group weighs in on the future of The Bachelor, debates what makes a great lead, and shares plenty of laughs along the way.

Don't miss this fun, honest, and heartfelt double date with one of reality TV's most beloved couples.

Transcript

SPEAKER_04 0:00

It's our first double date. You guys turn the world.

SPEAKER_07 0:03

Yeah, we have it. We're gonna do some some fun conversations, play some games.

SPEAKER_04 0:07

What is the biggest standout experience that you guys took away from the bachelor?

SPEAKER_03 0:11

It's crazy. I always say this, and people are always like, What? I feel like I've gotten my anxiety's gotten better since I was on the bachelor. Because I feel like it almost like pushed me so hard to be like, you either better accept all these things about yourself or you're gonna spiral even worse. How has your relationship evolved?

SPEAKER_12 0:27

You know how you want to match your partner's energy. This girl's energy is like impossible to match. I had to explain to her early, like I'll hit it like 70% of the time. You can't expect a hundred, but I think I've shifted like 80 or 90. I'm like, I'm like, dang, okay. Did you ever think that you'd be like the face of dancer? No, no. It's still wild. When I went on that show, I was scared and just didn't want to make an idiot out of myself. That is all I told myself is like, try not to make a fool of yourself on that show.

SPEAKER_03 0:53

Whenever they announced that you won, I got up and I started cheering, and I literally, my whole vision went black. I don't know if people saw me go live because I literally was like about to pass out, actually, because of how stressed I think I was and how like my heart was just like that's just rooting for your man. Yeah, I didn't feel like that when he went down on one knee. No, he said what no way she said that.

SPEAKER_07 1:21

Hello everyone, and welcome back to another episode of He Said She Said.

SPEAKER_04 1:25

Thank you guys so much for all of the love and support. Every week it's been so amazing doing this with you guys, and we could not be happier. Um so I just want to say we love you. I need to find out a name or what to call our He Said.

SPEAKER_07 1:43

Sweeties.

SPEAKER_04 1:45

Yeah, but I don't want it to be punny. Anyway, we'll figure it out. We'll figure it out. We'll figure it out. Hopefully you're still here. If you want to keep seeing and supporting, click like and subscribe and keep checking us out every Thursday. It means so much.

SPEAKER_07 1:56

Yes, hit subscribe, subscribe, you guys. We got some really fun episodes coming out.

SPEAKER_04 2:00

No, you have no idea.

SPEAKER_07 2:01

Yes, yes. And it starts today. We have two awesome guests today, good friends of ours. Please welcome my fellow Bastronation family, Joey and Kelsey. Yay! Thank you guys so much. I know you guys are crazy busy, booked and busy all the time.

SPEAKER_04 2:15

So we've been trying to get them for a while.

SPEAKER_07 2:17

I'm so happy this worked out in studio, too. Yeah.

SPEAKER_04 2:20

Well, we keep bumping into each other and all the other places. Um, but thank you guys so much for being here. It's our first double date, you guys. We're all done here.

SPEAKER_07 2:29

Thank you for having us. We're gonna do some some fun conversations, play some games.

SPEAKER_04 2:32

Typically, I would wind and dine, y'all, but you know, you can come over for that.

SPEAKER_07 2:36

I know we didn't really get to see you too much. Well, we saw you at stagecoach, but I feel like we didn't get to chat. And then Coachella, we didn't see anybody because you were at Coachella, right? Yes, yeah.

SPEAKER_03 2:43

But I yeah, I feel like you're just running around like everywhere. There's so much to do.

SPEAKER_07 2:46

So much to do, and then I was playing too, so I had to be there like at a certain time, and I just so we didn't see anybody at Coachella, I feel like. No, no, stagecoach a little bit, but yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_03 2:54

It all blurs together, right? Yeah, I know. I keep on like mixing the two. I'm like, was that Stagecoach or Coachella?

SPEAKER_07 3:00

I mean it's like the same place, so I feel like we spent the all of April in Southern California. Yeah, I feel like we were you guys go every year, right? Yeah, I played the last like except for when I gave birth. Yeah, yeah. Well, that's that one time. Yeah, I was I felt bad. I went to Coachella like two weeks after I was born. I was literally like, thank God, just go. Hang out.

SPEAKER_04 3:19

I'm gonna like cuddle. He's like, I'm kind of jealous. He was sleeping on a couch. I was like, I'm not jealous of you.

SPEAKER_07 3:24

Yeah, without her, I was like, I'm gonna sleep on a couch for free. I'm gonna like I was like, I don't need a house or anything. It was great, but but yeah, so how you guys been? What's you been up to? Um, I feel like, yeah, like I said, you guys are always booked and busy. We've been good.

SPEAKER_12 3:35

Yeah, we've been we've been obviously busy. I feel like that's always the case. We have that like funny conversation of oh, we have like two weeks at home. That's great. And then it turns into a week, and then all of a sudden it turns into three days. Like, wait, no, we're busy again. Uh, but what's been going on, babe? What's been new with you, most of all?

SPEAKER_03 3:50

I don't know. I I feel like I don't really remember anything past like a week on either side of the day that I'm at. You know, like I'm like, wait, what did I do like last month? Like, I just can't remember. I can't update like subscribing. Blurs together. Yeah, and it's always like the coolest shit too.

SPEAKER_04 4:07

Right. I know. Oh, I forgot I did that. Right. I know. Yeah.

SPEAKER_12 4:11

No, we uh we obviously like saw you guys during festival season. That was awesome. Um, we got to go and we went skiing and snowboarding in Park City not that long ago. That was fun.

SPEAKER_01 4:21

I did see that.

SPEAKER_12 4:22

Yeah, that was cool. We saw uh we what else? I just did a uh a I can't say exactly what it is yet, but I did my first uh scripted thing, yeah. Oh is it a commercial? I can't say it's RC. I can't say, but yeah, it was really cool. I got a chance to do something on yeah, it was something a little bit different. So I was in Atlanta for a little bit for that. So that was really, really fun. Um, but yeah, besides that, I think we're just gearing up for a pretty crazy summer. I'm obviously playing probably too much golf per usual. That's that's too much. I do when I get free time, that's what I'm gonna do. But yeah, we we've got some fun stuff coming up this summer. Um World Cup, like we just said, is gonna be really cool. Yeah, just trying to gear up. And then most of all, it's really kind of getting on wedding stuff now. That's kind of where it's been shipped.

SPEAKER_03 5:08

Wait, how deep are you guys in in the process? Honestly, I feel like every time we talk about like where we're at, people are like, wow, you actually got like a lot for we're like a year around a year out.

SPEAKER_12 5:17

Around a year out. We always feel like we're not far enough, but then we tell, like, suddenly it goes well. But we're at the point that we have venue figured out. Obviously, that includes location. We got date, uh, videographer, photographer, social. What else are we missing?

SPEAKER_03 5:32

Um, well, we have our wedding planner. That was the first thing.

SPEAKER_12 5:35

The hardest thing, and I'm sure you guys have dealt with this too, is the list going through and like getting getting everything figured out for like sending out save the dates and everything. And then yes, it was so stressful. Then we felt like we pushed it off. You guys want to come?

SPEAKER_07 5:48

Everybody who's been on the podcast, she's like, You want to go to the single person. No, but it's funny because we felt the same way. We were like, because we we well, actually, you guys have always been engaged for a while too. We we were in we've been engaged for a year and a half now, almost two years, I think.

SPEAKER_04 6:00

October 24. Okay, yeah, yeah. So we had a long engagement.

SPEAKER_07 6:04

So we had a long time. We were like, we kind of pushed it off, but we were in a good place for a long time. I was like, we're ahead of schedule, we're ahead of schedule. Found everything like that. But now it's like, oh shit. Like, oh, we gotta the the seating chart of the case. Like the details, you know what I mean? Like certain final. And then like last minute things are falling apart.

SPEAKER_04 6:18

Yeah, there's been a couple we've added in the nice way, yeah. Where I'm like, okay, I've always been a big believer in like the day's gonna be perfect no matter what. So if things have to shift, that means it's gonna be better than what I was planning. Exactly. Um, and so that's kind of where we're at right now, where I've I don't know about you, Kelsey, but I've never felt like the bridezilla. Yeah, no, not I feel like I'm not.

SPEAKER_12 6:41

Yeah, she's been honestly surprisingly not like super involved in some of the stuff already. Not in like a bad way. She just is like, yeah, sure. I thought she was gonna have so much more input, but like I I think like the beginning stage is so logistical, and I was just kind of like, we have to do this, we have to do that. And she's like, Okay, like, like, yeah, yeah, that's good. That's great. But when it gets to the part that we start picking like decor and all of like the theme and the vibe, I'm gonna start stepping back, I think, a lot more because I'm like, dude, I have no idea what we're doing.

SPEAKER_07 7:11

Honestly, I've stepped way back. She's to the point where I'm like, like, how can I help? She's like, I got it. She's like, just let me do it.

SPEAKER_03 7:17

That's how I feel like I'll be at that point.

SPEAKER_12 7:19

Yeah, I don't think I even can help because every time I pick something out in our house, she's like, that's ugly. I'm like, Yeah, you're right. So I probably shouldn't pick things for our wedding then. If you don't even like what I picked for a shoes rather, like, I don't know what I can do for a flower or a table setting. I'm not gonna win that battle.

SPEAKER_04 7:37

A rose?

SPEAKER_12 7:38

Yeah. We might not have that many roses at our wedding. I've seen enough of them.

SPEAKER_07 7:43

She mentioned it as a joke, and I was like, no.

SPEAKER_12 7:45

No. Isn't it so funny how that changes? Like when you buy flowers and stuff, you see like this beautiful bouquet of red roses. Can't get PTSD.

SPEAKER_07 7:52

It's like we grab that. Yeah, exactly, exactly. She uh, I feel like too, like um, as far as like the wedding planning is going, like the wedding planner. You guys said you have a wedding planner? Yes. That was the biggest thing, especially for us. I don't know where you guys are doing yours, but ours being destination. The wedding planner's been so incredible for us.

SPEAKER_04 8:10

So incredible.

SPEAKER_12 8:11

Our guy's been awesome, and uh, and we love Josiah. It's just been kind of more trying to figure out all the details. It gets closer. I think we just have to.

SPEAKER_03 8:18

Well, there's just so many things that you don't think about that you're like, oh, what?

SPEAKER_12 8:21

And it's nice that he's doing all the communication with the venue and making sure like we're like, hey, we want this number or this idea, like this type of band, all these types of things. He can then communicate that so we don't have to figure that out. We get to just tell him what we want, and then he figures out all of it. Honestly, so much props to anyone that does this on their own because I don't know how I would do it without him.

SPEAKER_04 8:41

Yeah, or like DOIing their stuff, which is great. I'm doing like a little bit like a smidge. But are you guys like detailed either of you?

SPEAKER_12 8:49

Like oriented, detailed oriented. I'm curious what you're gonna say on this. You go first.

SPEAKER_03 8:53

I feel like I'm detail-oriented in the fact that I want to know everything that's going on, like when we're going to these places, like I I need to know the schedule or what's going on, or if there's not, um, or if there's going to be.

SPEAKER_12 9:04

But I feel like Joey's I so this is what I would say. I think she wants to know what's happening, but does not pay attention to every detail. Like when she's there, it's whatever it is. Like she doesn't need everything to be in a certain way. I more go at the flow, and I'm like, I'll just be there. But if I expect something, I do expect every detail to be the same. She's not the same in that way. So we're a little different in that. So I think detail oriented is a little interesting because some people need to know everything. They need to know every detail, then you know everything before. I don't need to know everything before, but if I like go and do something, I kind of like it to be very detailed.

SPEAKER_03 9:36

But then I need it before because Elfus.

SPEAKER_12 9:38

She wants to know she wants to know everything and energy. We're literally on the way here trying to figure out travel, and she's like, I don't know this, I don't know that. I was like, You you do, but like what else do I do?

SPEAKER_04 9:46

Yeah, well, I get it written down because my ADHD, I can't no, 100%. I'm the same way, too. I'm like, I literally just want to know what am I gonna wear? Like, we went to an event last night and I was gonna show up in like this little black dress. It was cute, and then last minute he was like, hold up, let me just like look up this brand. And it was like jeans and t-shirts. Yeah, it's like okay, thank God. But then at the end of the day, like I don't I don't think before I I do. I think that's a very Aries trait. And then once I'm in it, I'm like, fuck. Like I should have kind of a little bit more.

SPEAKER_07 10:21

So we're in a good spot though. You're not stressed at this point about the weekend.

SPEAKER_12 10:24

I I think we're probably at least four or five months away until we get stressed. We're still in this like perfect in-between that we're about to send out save the dates, and soon enough we'll be sending out invites, and I think all that stuff, once it's like gets a little more real, I think that's when I'll start feeling the stress. Nice.

SPEAKER_03 10:39

The only thing I stressed out about was like the guest list, and like we have a hard number that like we can't go over. So yeah, that kind of is hard. That I kind of it kind of like made me a little sad because I was like, I just want to invite everyone.

SPEAKER_07 10:51

Exactly 100%. We actually, for a destination wedding, we've it was one of those we sent out a lot of invites, yeah. And then like everybody kind of scumming, we're like, oh shit.

SPEAKER_12 10:59

Yeah, oh, it's that's we haven't gotten past that stage. I think that'll be the first time I get stressed. I think we maybe did like 15 to 20 more than our number that they want us at because we're like, we gotta know exactly. If everyone says yes, I'm gonna be a little more figured out.

SPEAKER_03 11:13

We're gonna have to put some tables somewhere else. Like in the kitchen, yeah.

SPEAKER_07 11:18

So also, like obviously, you know, no, don't tell us what the venue is, but was it always like a dream venue for one of you? Was it like a spot that you guys always not really?

SPEAKER_03 11:26

We looked at so many different locations, we looked all over places that like we've never lived before or like don't have a connection to either, just that were beautiful venues. Um, but I feel like the venue that we picked, like it does make sense.

SPEAKER_12 11:38

It makes total sense. Uh, we when we were going through everything, we were open because we're not like married to a certain spot. We live in California now, a lot of our family's on the East Coast. We talked about doing destination like you guys, but we didn't like the idea of making it difficult for people to get to. We wanted everyone to like be able to go. Yeah, also. But we were like, we were almost gun-ho on Italy for a second. We're like, Yeah, let's do it. It'd be sick. Like, I know it would have been nice. But what we the one thing we kept to and we did make happen, which we're really excited about, is our venue is everything. It's where people are staying, it's where people are gonna like everything will be there. We were really wanting to find something where it's just like when you're there for the weekend, everyone's gonna be together. That's all. So, because I think the best part about a wedding is all the little moments outside of just what we're doing and what we're celebrating. Totally. Because it's the first time in your life you're gonna have all of your best friends that maybe have not met each other, her best friends that maybe not met each other from all the different parts of your life, including family, and they just get to celebrate you. And if you don't have the ability to make that as big of a moment as possible and as long as possible, I think you're missing. So then we really focus like we didn't want to have a lot of transportation problems, or like this is here, and there's so much dead time. We just wanted everything to be in the same spot. And I think we're really happy that we got the like we figured that out. That's awesome. That's awesome.

SPEAKER_07 12:55

We literally said the exact same thing yesterday. We were like, I have like my college roommates, the bachelor boys, my high school friends, you know, they've not ever been in the same place together, family.

SPEAKER_04 13:02

It's gonna be uh and it's always with I well, I mean, for you guys, I have like three friends. So, but I feel like you guys will really be able to see like your life pre- and post show all come into one place, and it's like this is kind of cool.

SPEAKER_03 13:16

I know it is funny, actually. I feel like a lot of my friends, like I don't know, I brought a lot of my girlfriends from home like to certain things. So I feel like they've been able to meet some people like in this like new phase of my life as well, which is pretty cool. Like a lot of my hometown friends are friends with Xandra now.

SPEAKER_12 13:32

Yeah, I feel like we've had little moments each of us to bring everyone together because when we get cool opportunities, we love bringing in other people to experience them. And like my birthday is an example last year. I had like a big thing here because it was my 30th, and it was the first time I got to bring like some of my college and like high school friends to meet the like Tanner and people that live here. And it was they all became best friends that weekend. Now they all ask for each other. Like, when am I gonna see them again? It's amazing. Like it's it's cool to see how like your friends, if they're a friend of you and they meet another friend of you, it's like it does make sense that they kind of come together and get along.

SPEAKER_04 14:06

Well, are you guys planning on doing bachelors and bachelorettes?

SPEAKER_12 14:09

Yeah, yes. I think we're that's where if you want to ask stress, that's probably where we're at. We're a little stressed right now on that.

SPEAKER_07 14:22

Because we feel like it's gonna be here before we do I I actually ended up not doing one. I was like, my life is low-key like a bachelor party. Like I just played Easy Vegas. Monday I'm going to DJ a pool party in Vegas. It's like, so, and it's hard as when I'm older and I'm a child. All my friends have kids too. And like, bro, I can't I can't take away five days, you know, away from my family and stuff. So it's gotten harder for me. So I was just like, you know what? I'm totally fine. Like, my life's a bit of a bachelor party. She had a fun bachelorette party.

SPEAKER_04 14:46

Yeah, we're gonna I went to Amsterdam. Oh my god, my girlies. We all got like matching tulip tattoos. So cute. It was really fun. We did like the canals and the food in Amsterdam is amazing. Yeah, the vintage shopping.

SPEAKER_12 15:00

I went like gorgeous.

SPEAKER_04 15:03

The tulips were like the size of my face. I was just like inheaving.

SPEAKER_12 15:05

The parks there blew my mind. I think everyone they think of Amsterdam, they think of like red light dish party time, all that stuff. But it's like the smallest portion of what that place is. It's open and beautiful.

SPEAKER_03 15:15

See, I went as a kid, so like you're hanging a red light this year. Right.

SPEAKER_04 15:21

No, my mom probably was like, Yeah. Love it. No, I loved it. And um, but and then I go on my bachelorette, and then acquired style. Did you see? Yes, it's like her PJ, and I was like, that's cool as fuck. I mean, she has like 18 friends. I was like, two of mine were pregnant. Like, I had to switch it up a little bit.

SPEAKER_03 15:38

No, I loved watching all of her content from that. I was like, oh my god, this is a good thing. You're like, say, did you see it?

SPEAKER_12 15:43

Yeah, I even saw it. Everyone saw it. I remember. We're not going that crazy. I think we're uh I'm I'm staying super chill. I'm just gonna make a golf weekend. Like a cliché. I have zero interest of going and doing like the I guess the cliche. Yeah, the same trip. Yeah, that's awesome. Because like you said, my life in general, I I already travel too much, have late nights. I just want to get a nice, chill weekend, have a house, have everyone come together, another opportunity to get people to know each other, maybe haven't met each other before the wedding, and have a good time and place myself. That's I'll find a weekend to do that, and even if it doesn't work out, I'm I just want to be on a beach, so just trying to figure that out.

SPEAKER_04 16:19

Yeah, she kind of wishes she did that a little bit. Well, because I went in April. Oh and so I was like, okay, well, you know, whatever. It'll be cute. But in the middle of it, I was like, what idiot doesn't do a beach bachelorette? Like, I would love to be like in a bikini, yeah, like just like tan, not cold. Well, because Colorado, man. I'm so you guys, do you guys come? Have you guys been to Colorado?

SPEAKER_12 16:41

We have one of my best friends, uh, lives in in Denver, so we've been trying to go out there. Um, haven't made it work yet. We almost we're gonna go for uh ski season. We were gonna go right there, yeah. So not much of a ski season. I know, but when we saw that we didn't really miss anything. Because we did we went to Park City and we caught like the only weekend. The only weekend that it dumped, yeah. So it was nice, but everyone's like, you got very lucky. So no, we we will probably try to make it out there either this summer or next winter because uh yeah, we'd love we gotta see he hasn't seen so long.

SPEAKER_07 17:08

We didn't bring him this time either.

SPEAKER_03 17:10

Wait, I was literally, I saw a picture of him recently. I was like, holy crap, he's he's a man.

SPEAKER_07 17:14

Yes, yeah, he's a little bit. He's not a baby anymore.

SPEAKER_03 17:17

I remember last time, I think last time we saw him, we got dinner all together here. Yeah. Um, right off, he was tiny so little.

SPEAKER_04 17:24

It is like three months. Yeah, it's a little bit more than a little bit. Yeah, he was really tiny. Uh we were all, and that was that was when he wouldn't tell me no. Or yeah, now he's there. That was like a year ago, probably. He's two and a half. Well, just over two, just over two, yeah. Just over two. Um, but no, it's fantastic. And like you see this little thing that you carried for nine months, and it looks nothing like you looks exactly like him, and you're just like, okay, fuck. But that's the best. You guys left to come and visit.

SPEAKER_07 17:52

Yeah, we love it. We got hookups in different tools. Let us know and you know if it's around. But um, let's move on from the wedding. Let's move on to the wedding a little bit. And then uh we got a little question for you about dancing with the stars. Obviously, you're huge in dancing with stars. Did you ever think that you'd be like the face of dancing with the stars? No, no. It's so wild.

SPEAKER_12 18:07

When I went on that show, I was scared and just didn't want to make an idiot out of myself. That is all I told myself is like, try not to make a fool of yourself on that show.

SPEAKER_07 18:14

So are you still gonna be podcast host of the official like figuring out?

SPEAKER_12 18:18

I would love to do it again. Um, I I think that was something that came together like really last minute last season, and it went really well. Um, but it was a new thing that they were like, you know, podcasts are blowing up everywhere, and that people were making podcasts about the show, so they wanted to like control the narrative and have their own, which was great. And uh yeah, I hope I get the chance to be involved wherever I can. I know I'm doing the Dance with the Stars convention that's coming up in July, so um, or end of July, early August. So that will be really fun. Um, that'll be a cool way to get connected with them again because they've just been on tour and it's been kind of non-stop craziness recently. Yeah, it's been crazy.

SPEAKER_07 18:51

I I remember I turned on Disney Plus one time. I was like, is that Jody? My face is there. Yeah, yeah, yeah. I got a question for you because I've actually always wondered this, and this is for both of you. Obviously, I always say like the Bachelor, the lead, Bachelor Bachelorette is like one of the hardest roles for like six to nine months. It's like one of the hardest roles on TV. And then you went straight into dancing with the stars for you, and I asked you both this. For you, how what was harder mentally and emotionally? Would it have been the being the bachelor or would it be dancing with the stars?

SPEAKER_12 19:19

I think emotionally, bachelor was harder just because it was going to have a larger effect on your life. At the end of the day, no one really cares if I mess up a cha-cha, but if I hurt a girl's feelings or do something that I would look back on and regret and not be like who I am as a person, that hurts a lot more. So I think the emotional strain of that was a lot more difficult. Um, mentally, though, exhaustion. I think in the moment, Bachelor felt so crazy because you didn't really get a lot of breaks, like it just was non-stop. But the the the fear you felt before you went out on stage and like knowing that you had this one shot, I don't think I'll ever recreate what I felt for that whatever two hour stretch of like I'm about to do this kind of thing. That was one of the crazier feelings I've ever had on Lithuans. The live feeling of that show was insane. But you know, you've seen it. The Bachelor World, it just it gets really, really draining. Oh, for sure.

SPEAKER_07 20:17

You don't sleep, you're constantly on camera.

SPEAKER_12 20:20

You just have to make this, you know, full season within a short amount of time. And I don't think people they hear like, oh my god, it took like two and a half months. It's like you that's really, really quick for how much stuff you do in that short amount of time.

SPEAKER_04 20:32

And also, it's kind of like you're plucked from whatever you were doing before into this crazy environment. You're just a normal person, right? And then you're like, oh, okay.

SPEAKER_12 20:40

She had it tougher than me because she that was her first time doing it. At least you know doing the bachelorette before, and you then you go into the bachelor, you have at least some idea, but you also don't because when you go on the other side, you see everything. And when you're a contestant, and she can speak more on this, you don't get to see everything on the show because they do that on purpose. They want it to feel as natural and real as possible. They don't want you to think that you're on a TV show as the lead, you are literally narrating the show, so you have to know every in and out of the show, and that was very different to like get a peek behind the curtain as the lead of the show. But you can speak on the show. And that's why I want to ask you.

SPEAKER_07 21:11

So, what was harder for you to be The Bachelor, you know, obviously watching the man you love like date a bunch of your friends, which was super weird. Or was it did you feel the pressure every night when he was about to do it?

SPEAKER_03 21:22

I literally felt like I was going to pass out every single time I'd watch him perform because I knew how much like work that he put into every single dance and how many hours every single day he was training for it. I I think it was um it was the finale. Joey got done with his dance, and I got up and or no, actually it was whenever they announced that you won. Oh, yeah. I got up and I started cheering, and I literally my whole vision went black. Like I was about to pass out. Like actually, I like had I don't know if people saw me go like because I literally was like about to pass out, actually, because of how stressed I think I was and how like my heart was just like that's just rooting for a

SPEAKER_01 22:00

Man. Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 22:01

I just feel like that when he went down on one knee. No, but I just knew all of the work and everything. But it was just it was crazy.

SPEAKER_12 22:10

Yeah. I think that uh her being there every week, people don't realize how big of like a commitment that was. Because it was so huge for me before every dance. I would look at her after every dance, I would look at her, I would text her. It was like she knew more than anyone else besides Jenna how much time was put into it. So yeah, she was my rock during that. But she was more nervous than I was every single time. Every single time.

SPEAKER_07 22:30

I hate that kind of because you had no, like you had no control.

SPEAKER_03 22:35

Like so chill.

SPEAKER_12 22:36

But in my inside, I was like, it was always actually before every dance because she would come to the dressing room before because we had like little trailers for dance with the stars, and she would hug me, and every time I could feel the nervous. She was like, good luck. I'm so excited for you. I'm like, it's gonna be fine. Like you're making me feel better. I'm making you feel better.

SPEAKER_04 22:55

She like nailed it.

SPEAKER_07 22:57

I felt so good after. So obviously, like after the show, it is hard to build a relationship after the show. Do you think dancing with the stars helped your relationship?

SPEAKER_04 23:05

I was just about to ask because you guys are pretty fresh.

SPEAKER_12 23:07

I heard I mean I'll let you answer first because I think it's more you had a different seat than I did because I was so in it. But what do you think it was uh helpful or hurtful in some moments for our relationship or the same?

SPEAKER_03 23:17

I would just say it was like I don't I mean, like maybe it was it was helpful in the sense of like it made us like stronger because like you were having to work so hard, but then like you were still coming back home, you'd have your decompress hour, and then we would you would like make sure that you were giving me, you know, all this like love and attention as well. So like I could see how much work that you were putting in and like this hard time for you to be able to do that. Um, but he still like worked so hard on our relationship. I think that that like showed a lot of like we really want to be together and make this work.

SPEAKER_12 23:50

I think that's the most important.

SPEAKER_03 23:51

But I wouldn't say that it hurt.

SPEAKER_12 23:53

No, I would say if you're looking at it during the time, it definitely hurt a little bit because I didn't have enough emotional and mental and physical bandwidth to give her what she deserved because I'm dead. Like I'm coming home from every single day, exhausted, mentally, physically, just don't have a lot of energy. And this was a crucial time. We're talking maybe three to four months after the show was done, and now I go do this thing. During it, it was really tough. But what she said, what I think is key, is when we got through it at the end and we still felt exactly the same way. That was stronger for our relationship because we we had another like battle test of like if we can make it through this, everything else is gonna be better after. And I think after dancing with the stars was when we probably had our first real reset of like, we're together, we're in this, let's do it. Real world, real life. Yeah, like that was when we finally like created and shaped our life together. We got our first place together. Yeah, we started to figure out and structure our life on what we wanted to be. We had like boundaries set for us being roommates, like all this stuff. Because we weren't we when I first got off the show, we moved into her place in New Orleans, and then after that, we moved into this small little apartment in aka. We were kind of both living out of suitcases for six months, and then after that, we finally like moved into a house, got furniture, did real relationship stuff, and I think that was our big reset.

SPEAKER_07 25:13

Yeah, no, I I completely get that. Again, coming out of the show, obviously, you're the bachelor, like success story. How do you guys handle the social media and and like not affecting your relationship and all that outside noise? Do you guys have rules? Do you have reports? You know, we don't know.

SPEAKER_03 25:35

I feel like we both are like pretty good at like I don't know, now like about like just like being like, ha ha, that's whatever, like this person doesn't know me, or like just making jokes about like the crazy people in our comments. But uh, I feel like at the beginning it I was like, why would they say that? Or like it would like hurt my feelings almost, but I feel like I don't know how, but we just I've I guess like just kind of figured out that like it's not that serious and like these people don't know me.

SPEAKER_12 26:01

But I mean, we could start out by saying we're very lucky, like we we left that show, we had a lot of people rooting for us. I think that we they're not not everyone gets that luxury. So we got a lot of people on our side, which was great. So then I think we almost at a point kind of got used to that, and then as anything happens, like you do things, you post stuff, and people have opinions, and that took us a second to get used to that. As you said, I think naturally we we're both very empathetic people and we try to lead with kindness. So when someone doesn't do that towards us, we're like, Why? Well, you will you personally make you upset? So, like, and then you want to fix it, but these aren't even people you really know. They have it, they have a fraction of your life, and I think that is what we try to lean into and hold on is we want to show as much as we feel comfortable to show on social media, but they can't see it all. They don't know how many times we do normal, real relationship things because a lot of stuff we show online is gonna be the the peaks, the big moments, or sometimes the low moments, whatever it is. So that's the thing that we have to hold on to. And I think anyone from doing a reality show takes a little, a little bit of whatever they learn from it and bring it into social media, and then they just try to make the most out of it.

SPEAKER_04 27:09

Well, I feel I always say like whatever someone says, it's a reflection of them. Yeah, and I'm just your trigger, it has literally nothing to do with me. Yeah, and you think you're not gonna see it, and so but it's interesting because, like, for example, like when we do anything, I just I can't look at the comments, you guys. I can barely watch this back to me. Like, I can't watch myself on TV. What about you guys?

SPEAKER_12 27:31

We don't enjoy watching ourselves on anything. Uh, we not like I think it's always weird to see yourself on stuff.

SPEAKER_03 27:38

I'll watch if you do a podcast, I'll watch you or not. That's a good idea. But like I don't ever like I don't really watch back ones of us together because I'm just like, oh gosh. You know, you like cringe a little. It's hard.

SPEAKER_12 27:49

For comments, I don't mind it too much. It's weird because you know on social media, like you're supposed to look at them because you want to engage with them, you want to get like reactions on stuff, especially if you put up something that you're excited about. But then you always find the one or two, you're like, Wish I didn't read that. Wish I didn't read that. Like, why is that person saying that about me right now? But then we have gotten to the point that we just it just yeah, she makes a lot of copy making it.

SPEAKER_04 28:14

So you guys didn't watch The Bachelor, I'm thinking.

SPEAKER_12 28:15

Oh no, well, that was the weird one that we kind of have to because you and he knows this. Like, you have uh the the whole show, it's it's a drop in the bucket, like you don't get to see like everything that happens. So when I I had to watch it because I get asked questions about it and I have to know what I can like share, like things that were shown, things that weren't shown, and I kind of got to know what everyone's opinion and narrative is so I can then like I guess have some ammo to talk about. But that's the only reason why we watch it was because I just need to, but I like talk about not watching yourself. Like, I I hated what I was watching.

SPEAKER_07 28:45

I feel like every bachelor and bachelorette says that.

SPEAKER_12 28:47

Yeah, it's weird. You don't want to see yourself the whole time. Can we skip to one of the girls talking about? I don't want to hear me talking anymore.

SPEAKER_04 28:53

And like being all like cheesy.

SPEAKER_12 28:56

Me trying to like pick up Kelsey. I'm like, oh no.

SPEAKER_04 29:00

Well, clearly it works. Yeah, I felt bad for him. Uh well, apart from you guys, what is the biggest like experience or the biggest standout experience that you guys took away from The Bachelor?

SPEAKER_12 29:17

Um, I think for me, it was probably from Bachelor and Dancing with the Stars. It just gave me a new level of confidence. Like, I think I I never I always like tried to lead with confidence, but I always was a little bit of a self-doubt person, like kind of your biggest critic. Uh still am, still working on it. But I think just the love I felt from those experiences, from other people, like really letting me know how much they appreciated something I said or something I did or how I led in moments, like it was a reiteration of like I know I'm trying, and people are seeing that I'm trying and they're liking what they're seeing in some way. Yeah, I think that and just being able to articulate better and explain my emotions, those kind of things, that level of confidence. I you you can't really explain it, you have to kind of do it to understand it. But that show did something for me.

SPEAKER_03 30:04

Yeah, I think that's the same. I feel like it gave me like more confidence, and it's crazy. I always say this, and people are always like, What? I feel like I've gotten my anxiety's gotten better since I was on The Bachelor. Because I feel like it almost like pushed me so hard to be like, you either better accept all these things about yourself or you're gonna spiral even worse. And I feel like it almost like reset something in my brain where like now my anxiety is not as bad. I just feel like way more confident in who I am and what I bring to the table. That it just like, and I think that that also is probably from the mean comments and things that I had to be like, okay, this doesn't mean anything to me.

SPEAKER_12 30:36

I will give you a lot of flowers on that. The girl that I met post-show in like November, December 2023, and the girl I know now, the amount your anxiety has gotten better. It's crazy that sometimes it doesn't work in this world for people. It does just shift, but something with her, like her confidence and anxiety has like fully taken a turn from the person that I got to know initially to now. It's like crazy.

SPEAKER_07 30:58

That's pretty cool. I haven't heard that answer before.

SPEAKER_04 31:00

Well, I feel like that's what I mean. You see, people go through these experiences, and either some people like thrive or some dive. And I it's and up to you and your nature as a human, as a person, whether, like, okay, I want to be in this, I'm gonna take away the best experience out of this, or I'm just gonna sit and wallow and go into the fetal position and die. Um, but I really wanted to know with your anxieties all these things getting better, how has your relationship evolved since he says that I made him weird?

SPEAKER_03 31:30

So that's true.

SPEAKER_12 31:33

We are we have like we have moments now where you know how you just start to become more the person that you're with. Uh Kelsey like makes me talk in baby voice more than I ever would. I think my my ADHD has gotten worse. I'm not even kidding. Like, I used to have a little bit, uh, but now it's whoa, whoa. Um, she's so so goofy, and like for a while initially when we were together, like I need to, you know how you want to match your partner's energy. This girl's energy is like impossible to match. I had to explain to her early, like, I'll hit it like 70% of the time. You can't expect a hundred, but I think I've shifted like 80 or 90 or something. I'm like, I'm like, dang, okay. Like, she that was one of the reasons why I knew that we would be great together. She brings out a different side of me because I am very low-key and chill, but I'm way different with just us two as a man.

SPEAKER_03 32:25

Where I can like relax sometimes. At first, I was like, I hate sitting on the couch, I don't want to watch a movie, I don't want to sit down, I want to go run around. Yeah. Oh, we were worried initially.

SPEAKER_12 32:34

I was like, we couldn't watch a movie without her like explaining and talking through the movie with me. I'm like, babe, like we're just gonna sit and watch this movie. And she would like she would get so excited and she would like jump up and down. But no, like we need to we need to chill and watch this movie. And now I think I get more excited sometimes in film than you do.

SPEAKER_07 32:51

So yeah, it's it's interesting how it shifts. All right. So, big question for you What are your guys' thoughts uh on The Bachelor moving forward?

SPEAKER_12 32:58

It's a tough one. Um, obviously, we all saw everything that happened. I think they made the correct moves at the time for everything, but I do feel for the guys that didn't get a chance to have their stories be shown because we know how that can be a life-changing moment just to personally yeah, but you put your life on pause, you give a lot up for it, but personally it can change who you are and and really help you in a lot of ways. So I hope for the guys' sake they get that chance. Um, we will always from afar be rooting for The Bachelor because of what it's done for us, and I I uh same thing for like I said with the guys. I just want everyone to get that opportunity because it's a it's a you do well or you dive situation. Like never dive. It's it's you have to give them that opportunity, and I think it it is the OG of all these reality shows and dating shows that people love, and um, there's still something about it that I hope and I don't think that's just gonna be I don't know yet. I don't know. I heard rumor on the streets, they're asking Robert. I gotta reach out to him and see, but yeah, I know Robert Irwin's name has been like floated around a little bit, so it'll be interesting. You know what? My opinion on all that stuff is always that if you can get someone from the outside that has a following and they're there for the right reasons, I think it's good, but you just have to make sure that when they do this, that they commit to it because it's nice to put a little twist on it.

SPEAKER_03 34:12

I want I want someone to come either out of the franchise or somebody that nobody knows at all. And that's I think that would be my first show. I think that's more entertaining because people don't have the understanding of the entertainment industry, and I think that it's very it's a lot more raw offense.

SPEAKER_12 34:25

And I think that's the one thing that's missing is that that was the best part of the show is you don't want people to know what they're doing on camera. That's how you capture amazing moments. Um they're too polished, and they know what they're self-aware. Yeah, better TV, it's more real, people resonate with it more. So I I will always live on both sides because I see the value in it. Uh God, that's gonna be a clip. Uh, but I I don't know. I don't know what's gonna happen. I will root for the show always, but I'm I'm very curious because they are in, I think, the most difficult and maybe situation they've been in since I've been a part of it. This is this is a the next decision they make is a huge decision. Yes, I agree.

SPEAKER_07 35:08

I could make or break uh I got a little hot take. Uh I got a real name. I think Shane from this season, Taylor Frankie Paul season, will uh will be the next bash. We'll see. Wait, I was just gonna say that's what I was. I met him at Stagecoach.

SPEAKER_03 35:19

I met him too, where we've hung out with him a bunch. He's the nicest, he's a lawyer, like he's successful. He really like he has talked to us about it, and like he actually like really wants to find somebody, I feel like, and it's very like real to him.

SPEAKER_07 35:31

And he's on that mob show or Mafia or whatever. I can see it. I can see it happening. So we're gonna do a fun how well do you know the part of the I'm glad we're not doing it. The newlyweds game before the newly one. Yes, it's very newlyweds ish. All right, okay. We're gonna see if you guys kind of have the same answer. Very newlyweds game-ish. So don't cheat. Kelsey's behind Jesse. Yeah, uh huh. She does cheat. So thank you. I'll do the first one. I'll see if we could do this. This would be hard. All right. What is Joey's dream vacation spot? Hmm. Oh, then no hesitation from Kelsey. Kelsey's struggling with the spelling. I know she's gonna have one of two answers. Okay, all right, all right, let's flip them. We have Hawaii, Italy, or Hawaii, one for one.

SPEAKER_12 36:19

Okay, I was like Hawaii. She's not worried about winning this game. She's worried about spelling. That's what we have. Hawaii can't be able to do it.

SPEAKER_03 36:25

I've always been such a bad speller. My mom was like, thought that I was dyslexic because of how bad I was.

SPEAKER_12 36:30

On the way here, we were literally talking about um I can't do math. Oh, about where we're in destinations, and uh I'm I'm still pushing for Hawaii. She's like, we've been there. I'm like, I know.

SPEAKER_03 36:41

I don't mind Hawaii. I just want to go like in the middle. Like, I want to go to Bor Bor in the middle on one of those huts in the middle of the water where there's you know nothing to do with it. We'll be on the beach.

SPEAKER_07 36:47

I did the Maldives or the Maldives was insane for sure. Got dumped, but it was awesome. I was like, let's not go there for a moment.

SPEAKER_04 36:55

All right, next. What is something Kelsey would splurge on without thinking twice? I can already tell because I'm looking at it.

SPEAKER_12 37:04

I think I know it, but I'm gonna see. I went for my first answer. I'm just gonna think if there's anything else.

SPEAKER_04 37:11

Again, no hesitation. I'm doing this as a joke. You can't do two. Pick one. I'm just doing this as a joke.

SPEAKER_08 37:16

The first one's the answer.

SPEAKER_04 37:17

Purse. Okay, bad. Yeah, two for two.

SPEAKER_12 37:22

She loves to mod bad. She eats it all the time. That's great.

SPEAKER_05 37:25

That's great. I almost want candy. Candy. Candy.

SPEAKER_07 37:29

Two for two, man. Okay, alright. Alright, we're hanging in. Um, which love language does Joey use to show his love?

SPEAKER_08 37:39

I'm curious where you're going with this.

SPEAKER_03 37:41

Uh I'm trying to think of all of them.

SPEAKER_04 37:43

Oh, it's time to do that. I know, me too. I'm sitting here late. Quality time, gifts, um, words of affirmation, and there's one more.

SPEAKER_08 37:54

I'm cheating, I'm doing two. You can't do one. Because I can't make my mind up. Quality time.

SPEAKER_04 38:06

I feel like you're more quality time.

SPEAKER_12 38:08

I think so too, but.

SPEAKER_04 38:09

What is something Kelsey is secretly competitive about?

SPEAKER_08 38:12

That's a good one. Oh, that's a good question.

SPEAKER_04 38:14

And she's an Aries, so she likes to be first.

SPEAKER_08 38:17

Um I don't know.

SPEAKER_04 38:20

Artie Ryan.

SPEAKER_12 38:22

Um it's not really a secret. That's probably wrong. Go ahead.

SPEAKER_07 38:26

Anything.

SPEAKER_12 38:29

Anything in that game. It is what I said first. I did say everything. I wrote everything. Yeah, she anything we do, she wants to beat me. Yeah, same with G. She got mad.

SPEAKER_03 38:37

I like make things competitive that shouldn't be competitive. I love that though. I'm a sore loser.

SPEAKER_12 38:41

Yeah, we did pottery last night and we were in Europe. Yeah, and I was competitive. Okay, here we go.

SPEAKER_07 38:50

It's supposed to be a nice little date night. Yeah, exactly. All right. Uh, who was the first to wake up in the morning?

unknown 38:55

Oof.

SPEAKER_07 38:55

This has shifted. Yeah. Yeah. Initially.

SPEAKER_08 38:58

ADHD. Initially.

SPEAKER_12 39:01

It used to be me. Really? Now this girl likes her sleep. She's not far behind.

SPEAKER_03 39:05

It's just because I have a hard time falling asleep. Yeah.

SPEAKER_12 39:07

Yeah. Yeah. The energizer bunny charge.

SPEAKER_09 39:11

Exactly. But it used to be like I would wake up in the middle. Look at her. She needs her beauty scene. Early in the morning. It's hard. It's hard to look that good.

SPEAKER_04 39:19

Who is the funnier one in the relationship? I know this one.

SPEAKER_09 39:22

Yeah, that's just. What would you do if I wrote me? I was gonna say you better. My arrow is the wrong way, but that's Kelsey.

SPEAKER_02 39:31

That's Kelsey. Kelsey.

SPEAKER_07 39:34

I would do the same. I know I'm funnier, but I would write Gianina just.

SPEAKER_12 39:38

I am usually.

SPEAKER_07 39:39

No, I don't even try.

SPEAKER_12 39:40

Kelsey's made me funnier, so that's good.

SPEAKER_07 39:42

You're welcome. Who is always running late?

SPEAKER_09 39:48

Okay, I shouldn't even have raced. Am I an arrow right? Which way? There you go. Kelsey, Kelsey.

SPEAKER_07 39:59

It's not even a question. Dude, honestly, I think you guys got damn near every single one. We should get married. I think we should think we should love it. So thank you guys so much for coming on. Um, before we let you go, is there anything you know you want to let the audience know you're working on? You got coming up? You kind of mentioned a little something. Like, what have you guys got coming up?

SPEAKER_03 40:15

Joey's got something coming up.

SPEAKER_12 40:17

I got two things coming up.

SPEAKER_03 40:19

At the end of the year.

SPEAKER_12 40:19

Yeah, I got I got two things at the end of this year that I can't share yet, but I got two pretty big things that I'm really excited about. So that'll be fun. Kelsey, what do you got coming up?

SPEAKER_03 40:28

Um, just still be hot, cool, funny. That's harder than what he never has.

SPEAKER_12 40:33

No, I think the most important thing we have coming up is our wedding. So we'll be able to share some news here soon. Uh it's gonna be next spring. I know people want to know where it is, all that stuff. I think that'll be coming out sooner than people know. And everyone thinks we're trying to gatekeep this. We we kind of have to in some way. Like we're we're just gonna keep some of it to us, but uh, we do want to share with like everyone all the details soon. So we're really excited.

SPEAKER_03 40:56

I want to know about your dress. Oh, I know. I need I'm going dress shopping actually next month at the beginning. Oh I know. That's when it'll that's when whenever I start trying them on, I think that that's gonna be like a blob.

SPEAKER_12 41:08

She's gonna be crying the entire time. I'm so emotional. We're gatekeeping the hell out of our wedding. I know people are like we've seen the people saying that. We're like, we just don't want to share everything. Yeah, exactly. We will share when it's time to share, but right now we uh we're really excited. Things are coming along and excited to share with that. I love that for you guys. Yeah, we can't wait for you guys. Thank you. Good luck with everything. So excited, everybody. Oh, yeah. Yeah, I'm ready for the Santino. I'm ready.

SPEAKER_07 41:35

We can say that right now. No. Oh, we're going to Santorini. Mini Moon, mini moon.

SPEAKER_04 41:41

The honeymoon I want to do safari. Anyway. Yeah. Thank you guys. Thank you for planning everyone.

SPEAKER_07 41:46

No, you guys are awesome. Again, thank you. I know how busy you guys are. So to come in the studio means a lot. So I appreciate it. You guys are one of our faves for sure. So we love you.

SPEAKER_04 41:52

And don't forget to like, comment, subscribe. We love you guys, and see you next Thursday. He said what?

SPEAKER_00 42:02

No way she said that.